Improvement in heating apparatus



a n. PE .Heating-Al llar v 'No 158117 51 Patented Dec.22 874.

T E GRAPWC CQPHCTO L TH 395' M PARK PLA Ii TATES I PATENT QFFIGE.

GEORGE H. PERKINS, OF PHILADELPHIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOSEPH LE COM'IE, OF NEW YORK CITY, AND ATLANTIC EEFINING COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN HEATING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 158,117, dated December 22, 1874; application riled March 18, 1874.

CASE K.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE H. PERKINS, of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Heating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification: V

The object of my invention is to heat solderin g-irons and other objects of metal uniformly throughout their entire length, and I attain this object by placing the object to be heated in a receptacle, A, composed of two or more concentric tubes, the outermost of which is exposed to the direct action of the heating appliances, and the said tubular receptacles, when several are employed, being also arrayed in a circle and secured to a shaft or cylinder, B, by the rotation of which they can be brought successively opposite the heating appliances, all as shown in the transverse sectional view, Figure 1; longitudinal section, Fig. 2 5 and end view, Fig. 3, of the accompanying drawing.

I have found, by practical tests, that if an elongated object of metalsuch, for instance, as the soldering-iron X, shown by the perspective view, Fig. 4, and used in carrying out the heat and pressure process for which Letters Patent No. 85,7 42, were granted to Joseph Le Comte, on the 12th day of January, 1869 be subjected to the direct action of a fire, or

row of gas or benzine burners, the said iron will be heated more intensely at some points than at others. I have also found that if the iron be inclosed in a tube, when subjected to the fire, it will be heated more uniformly than by the direct action of the latter, while if two or more concentric tubes be used with spaces between them, the heat will be so diffused by the time it reaches the iron as to impart a uniformly high temperature to all parts of the latter, which is necessary to the successful carrying on of the above-mentioned heat and pressure process.

Each receptacle A consists, in the present instance, of three concentric tubes, a, a, and a with spaces between them, the innermost tube a, which supports the series, being the longest, and being secured at or near its opposite ends to disks 1) b, carried by a horizontal shaft, B, having its bearings in cross-pieces d of a frame, D, which rests in or is secured to a pan, F, supported by feet 6. In the present instance, there are six tubular receptacles, A, arranged in a circle around the shaft B, so that by rotating the latter they may be brought successively over the benzineburners Gr, each of which consists of a bent tube, perforated at or near its end, and secured to or forming part of a supply-pipe, G. The apparatus is open at its opposite ends, but it is covered at the top and sides by a sheet-metal casing, H, the exterior of which is clothed with plaster-ofparis, or other non-conductin g material, which will prevent loss of heat by radiation. The shaft B and its tubular receptacles are turned by means of a key, J, (best observed in the perspective view Fig. 5,) which has an eye, f, adapted to the shaft, and a forked spring-pawl, 9, adapted to the teeth of a ratchet-wheel, h, secured to the said shaft, as shown in Fig. 3.

The ratchet-wheel has as many teeth as there are tubular receptacles, and the key, when released, rests upon a projection, z, of the frame D, this insuring the maintenance of the lowermost of the said receptacles in a position directly over the burners, and the bringing of the next receptacle to a corresponding position, when the said key is raised sufliciently to engage with the next tooth of the ratchetwheel, and then lowered to its former position.

In using the apparatus, the soldering-irons w, or other objects to be heated, are introduced into the open front ends of the inner tubes a of the receptacles, and are pushed back into the same until arrested by a stop, is, with which each tube is provided, and which thus determines the proper position of the iron in the receptacle. (See Fig. 2.) In order to prevent the insuflicient heating or cooling of the end of the iron nearest the mouth of the tube by currents of cold air, the said tube is made somewhat longer than the iron, and the exposed end of the latter and elongated portion of the tube are subjected to the direct action of a burner, G (See Fig. 2.)

On removing each heated iron from the lowermost receptacle, the operator replaces it by a cold iron, and then brings the next partially-heated iron to the lowest position by a partial revolution of the shaft through the medium of the key, the irons being thus heated successively, and each being ready for use by the time it has been caused to make a complete revolution.

The turning of the apparatus by unauthorized persons during the absence of the attendant, may be rendered difficult by the removal of the key.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a heating apparatus, of a receptacle for the object to be heated, consisting of a series of concentric tubes and intervening spaces, and heating appliances, arranged to apply heat directly to the outer tubes, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the inner tube at, having a stop at one end and open at the other, and the shorter surrounding tubes (1, (0 as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of a series of receptacles, consisting of concentric tubes carried by a shaft, and heating appliances opposite which the receptacles may be brought successively by the rotation of the shaft, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the heating appliances, rotating shaft carrying a series of receptacles, and surrounding non-conducting casing, all as specified.

5. The shaft B, carrying a series of receptacles, A, and its ratchet-wheel h, in combination with the key J, having an eye, f, adapted to the said shaft, and a pawl, g, adapted to the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, all substan tially as specified.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE H. PERKINS.

Witnesses:

WM. A. STEEL, HUBERT HoWsoN. 

